Building structure



E. HEATH.

BUILDING STRUCTURE. APPLICATIQN FILE D FEB. 26. I92!- 1,416,82 1 Patented y 23, 1922.

.2 SHEETS;SHEET I.

awn/rm.

E. HEATH. BUILDING STRUCTURE. nmxcmou min m. 26. 1921.

Patented May 23, 1922.

2 SREETS-SHEET 2- FIG. as.v

[WEN-TOR.

or iunnnv'n'rrn. WISCONSIN.

BUILDING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 233, 1922.

Application filed. February 26, 1921. Serial No. 448,024.

To cZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marinette, county of Marinette, and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Structures. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in building structures.

it is the object of my invention to provide a building structure in which short lengths of timber, logs or post ends may be utilized with a minimum of mill work to construct a sturdy and serviceable building, such for example as a silo, or log cottage having an outer surface conforming'to the natural contour of the members of which the wall is composed.

In the manufacture of posts much valuable wood has usually been wasted. The trunks of cedar trees are cut to form telephone poles or other long posts from the lower portions, the smaller upper portions of the trunks being then cut to form fence posts, but those portions which are too small or two irregular for fence posts are usually used only for fuel. It is one object of my invention to devise means for producing an inexpensive building material, as a b y product of the post manufacturing industry.

Great quantities of small timber are also available in areas that are being logged or in areas that have once been cut over or logged. To mill such small timber has heretofore been expensive be nuse when a small stick is out into boards the amount of wasted material is proportionately much greater than is the case if large logs are being handled. It is therefore desirable, if this small timber is to be used, to provide some means of using it without cutting it into boards, so that the waste and the labor involved may be minimized. It is the object of this invention to provide means of utilizing these small logs and pieces of logs,'by devising a special type of building struc ture, peculiarly adapted to receive suchmaterial as nearly as possible in its natural condition, orina condition into which it may be reduced by simple machinery and with minimum labor and expense.

More particularly stated, my object is to provide means whereby short, irregular or small pieces of posts, logs or timber may be cut into sets of pieces of uniform length trimmed on two sides to allow them to be superposed to an approximate lit, recessed at their ends, and then laid up in block form either with, or without mortar, and anchored to vertical members or posts in such a man nor as to produce a solid wall of great strength and durability, which can if desired be hooped or reinforced by bands of metal which find natural anchorage between the projecting portions of the members.

Embodimentsof the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lis an elevation of a building constructed for use as a silo in accordance with my invention, portions of the wall being broken away on line 1-1 of Fig. 2 to expose constructional details.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a. plan view of a stick or block of wood prepared for use as a building unit in accordance with my invention.

Figure 4 .is an end elevation of a pair of superimposed sticks of the sort illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure Sis a plan view showing a modified form in which the building units to be used in my improved building construction may be shaped.

Figure 6 represents a pair of superimposed sticks of the form illustrated in Figure 5.1 v

Figure 7 shows a building wall partly in section and partly in elevation embodying invention in combination with a facing of reenforced concrete or stucco.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the structure shown in F 7, with a portion broken away in horizontal section. Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

While the building here shown is intended for use as a silo, I wish it understood that I do not limit my invention to buildings inare trimmed or cut away on opposite sides to form two parallel surfaces which for con venience in description are hereinafter referred to as the top and bottom surfaces. The bark may or may not be removed from the other surfaces, and in any event these other surfaces, hereinafter referred to as the inner and outer surfaces, are preferably left in the natural contour of the log from which the unit is formed. The ends of the units are cut in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis where a generally circular structure is to be formed. By then placing two of the units end to end, and holding them rigidly in posit-ion by means of a form or chuck it becomes possible to bore a hole through the abutting ends from top to bottom in such a manner as to produce substantially semicylindrical recesses in the ends. In this manner, I produce a building unit or block 1, (Fig. 3), having substantially flat top and bottom surfaces 2 and 3, concave end recesses 4 and 5, and having front and rear surfaces of natural contour, these surfaces being ordinarily convexly rounded from one end of the unit to the other, the axis of the curve extending longitudinally of the unit, whereas the axis of the concave recesses in the respective ends extends vertically.

here the building to be erected is a silo or other building of a generally circular form, a series of posts 8, prefably mounted in a concrete base wall 9 with the ends imbedded or anchored in the concrete are suitably spaced to receive bet-ween them the sets of units in such a manner that the sides of the posts are received in the concave recesses 4. formed in the ends of the units as above described. The units are therefore superimposed with their flat surfaces 2 and 3 in contact with those of the units above and below them. whereby each section of the wall comprises a solid tier of blocks between the posts, and having their ends anchored to the posts. If desired, the surfaces 2 and 3 may be provided with longitudinal channels, such as the rectangular channels 10, shown in Fig ures 3 and 4, or the V-shaped channels 11 shown in Figures 5 and 6. These channels are adapted to receive mortar or concrete. It is not essential to my invention that these channels be formed in both faces of each unit. It will ordinarily be sufhcient to form a channel simply in the upper face of each unit. In either case sufiicient mortar can be placed in the channel of the unit which has been laid in position to allow the weight of the superposed unit to either flatten out the mortar between the units or force it into the channel formed in the lower face of the superposed unit in cases where that unit is provided with such a channel. Mortar may of course also be forced into any spaces large enough to receive it between the concave ends of the units and the associated posts. But any material metallic or non-metallic, may be used in the channels to connect the units.

Obviously, very little mill work is necessary in making up the building units above described. Parallel saws or planing machinery can be utilized to cut the parallel surfaces 2 and 3 in one operation while the channel 10 may be made at the same time. A large sized drill or a small rotary knife cutter can be used to cut away the ends of the units to form the semicircular vertical grooves 4 and 5. The units are milled or trimmed the same on both sides so that a out making the angular end 6 of one unit will also cut at the proper angle the end of the next unit to be taken from the same log so that when this next unit is turned over, it will be identical with the first.

The building units 1 having been prepared by the simple milling operation above described, are set between the posts 8 in tiers to form the walls of the building. For fastening together the, superimposed building units or bolts 1, I employ two methods. Where the grooves 10 are rectangular in cross section, as shown in Figures 3 and 4:, a strip of lath or similar small piece of wood,

shown at 12 in Figure 4, may be driven into L the groove Not the lower unit and may then be received into groove 10 of the superimposed unit. The strips 12, used for this purpose, need not be dressed lumber and a wall so constructed will prove at once economical and satisfactorily water tight and extremely substantial.

If the grooves 11 are of the form illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 a binding course of mortar or concrete may be laid between the superimposed building units 1 and will enter grooves 10 or 11 rendering the structure even more completely waterproof than that made as shown in Figure 4:. In fact, it is not absolutely necessary to provioe the units'l with any grooves at all, for the interlocking construction whereby each unit is engaged between two uprights is extremely stable. The grooves merely aid in the retention of the mortar. lVhere a waterproof structure is not necessary, no mortar will be required. It is immaterial to my invention whether the building units 1 be laid between the posts 8 in courses or whether the space between one pair of posts is completely filled before the filling of the adjacent tier is begun.

Suitable openings 13 may be left at convenient points to be fitted with doors. 14; will preferably be used if the structure is a silo, or in any structure where the vertical posts 8 tend to spread. The hoops will rest in the crevices between superimposed courses of building units and will thus be secured against accidental displacement, not- Hoops withstanding shrinkage. The hoops will also draw into the crevices to a considerable extent if the building swells beyond its ori inal size. The roof 15 ma be of anv suitable form. if the roof is of such a nature as to bind together the tops of poles 8 there will be materially less need for the use of hoops 1 1, which will then be unnecessary except in particularly tall silos.

I have found that silos and other buildings constructed in the above described manner may be constructed at relatively small cost, because they permit of the use of timber that would otherwise be wasted and because the milling work necessary to prepare the building units 1 from such timber is very slight and can be done rapidly with the aid of few men.

There the material composing the building units 1 is of small diameter, metal posts or rods may be substituted for the Wooden posts 8 shown in the-drawings. These posts not only take the place of the ordinary studding in buildings of common type, but inasmuch as no nails or dowel pins are required to connect the units with the vertical members or posts it becomes immaterial whether the posts be formed of wood, metal, or concrete. l/Vhere exterior surfacing is required the spaces between the convexly rounded outer surfaces of the units provide ample anchorage for concrete or stucco, either with or without wire or other metallic reenforcement. It is therefore possible to use a great deal of material which heretofore has been of no value, except as firewood and much of it of little value for that purpose where the wood is of a light quick burning type.

In Figure 7 the building wall is first formed as heretofore described with units 1 composed of small blocks or sticks of wood anchored to metal posts, dowels, or studs 16. The wall thus formed is enclosed by wire netting 17 which may be used either with or without reenforcing bands or hoops, such as the hoops 1%. This netting may be se cured. at intervals to the units 1 by staples, and a facing 18 of the concrete or stucco may then be applied to embed the wire netting and the material may be pressed into the spaces between the units 1, and into the spaces between the wire and the vertical posts 16, thereby securing firm anchorage and ample support for the facing material,

and also protecting the wood from decay and the metal from corrosion.

I claim:

1. A building wall comprising a series of cylindrical vertical posts and interposed tiers of log units having their ends vertically recessed hemispherically to receive the posts and allow the front and rear portions of the ends of the units of adjacent tiers to abut, the inner and outer surfaces of said log units retaining their natural cylindrically rounded contour.

2. A building wall comprising tiers of horizontally disposed log units in abutting, end to end contact with those of the adjacent tiers, and cylindrical posts extending vertically across the axes of the logs at the joints between adjacent tiers and embedded in the respective ends of the logs forming such joints, said posts forming a concealed doweling anchorage to connect the tiers with each other.

3. A building wall for utilizing the small ends of post logs and similar waste material comprising short log sections flattened on two sides and arranged end to end in tiers of superposed units with their flat surfaces in contact and with the inner and outer surfaces cylindrically rounded in their natural unfinished condition, the abutting tiers having cylindrical holes extending from top to bottom and cylindrical metal posts substan- 'tially fitting the holes and anchoring the tiers of units together.

1. A structure comprising a series of vertical posts equally spaced about a circle, a plurality of superposed log units of equal length arranged in tiers between the posts and interlocking therewith, said units having front and rear surfaces of natural contour, and hoops adapted to encircle the structure between two successive courses of log units to prevent the posts and tiers of units from spreading or pushing outwardly under interior pressures.

5. A wooden structure comprising a series of vertical posts disposed in a circle. a series of tiers of superposed, substantially horizontal wooden blocks interlocked with said posts and having exterior convex surfaces of natural contour, and hoops encircling the posts and retained within the groove formed by the juncture of. the naturally contoured surfaces of two successive courses of blocks.

6. A structure comprising a series of vertical posts, a plurality of elongated Superposed horizontally disposed wooden log units vertically grooved at their respective ends to receive the posts, and havin convexly rounded outer surfaces extending along a horizontal axis between the posts, and a facing of non-metallic material cover ing the units and posts, and anchored between the convexly rounded surfaces.

7. A structure comprising a series of ver tical posts, tiers of superposed horizontally disposed log units filling the spaces between the posts and formed to lit the contour of the faces of the posts at their respective ends with the posts partially embedded in the ends of the units between their inner and outer surfaces, said units having cylindrically curved outer surfaces of unfinished natural contour, a reenforcing net covering the outer faces of the units and posts, and a llO hers interlocked in the recesses at the respective ends of the units and connecting them together in the column.

9. A building Wall having an inner surface composed of tiers of horizontally disposed short cedar log units having their ends connected to those of adjacent tiers by vertically disposed dowel posts, and an outer covering of cementitious material, anchored in the spaces between the superposed log units.

EARL HEATH. 

